On Thursday, July 9, 1964, United Air Flight 823 departed from Philadelphia with 39 people on board. The plane was scheduled to land at Huntsville International Airport in Alabama, with scheduled route stops in Washington, D.C., and Knoxville, but it never arrived in Knoxville. Around 6:15 p.m., the plane was reportedly seen flying low, trailing smoke, and eventually crashed about 2.25 miles from Parrottsville. Parrottsville is a small town located just outside Newport, in Cocke County.
The estimated arrival time in Knoxville was 18:13 at McGhee Tyson Airport. However, the crew reported to the Atlanta ARTCC after an issue was resolved, resulting in a new arrival time of 18:21.
Approximately one minute after reporting passing Holston Mountain, the crew requested clearance to descend to the lowest available altitude. They were cleared to descend to and maintain an altitude of 8,000 feet. Three minutes later, the crew cancelled their IFR clearance.
A fire of unknown origin occurred in the passenger cabin and is considered to be the cause.
The plane slammed into a steep hill next to a family farm. In the end, only one body remained intact from the impact, and that was the passenger who is believed to have jumped from the number four escape window before the plane made impact with the ground.
Sadly, all 35 passengers and four crewmen on board that day perished in the crash. The deceased were taken to the Cocke County Memorial Building.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.